AYURVEDIC BODY MASSAGE OIL
Karpasasthyadi Thailam
Karpasasthyadi Thailam, a classical body oil of Ayurveda, built on Karpasa (cotton) and Bala with warming herbs in a sesame base, for body massage.
Karpasasthyadi Thailam is a classical Ayurvedic body massage oil, its name drawing from Karpasa, the cotton plant. Art of Vedas prepares it in the classical form: cotton and Bala with pulses and warming herbs such as ginger, galangal and long pepper, cooked into a sesame oil base by the classical Sneha Paka method, made for Abhyanga, the Ayurvedic full-body self-massage. This page sets out what the oil is, the classical tradition it belongs to, and the heavy-metal and microbiological test results recorded for every batch.
What Karpasasthyadi Thailam is
Karpasasthyadi Thailam is a classical Ayurvedic herbal oil, prepared by Art of Vedas as a body massage oil. It is anhydrous, meaning it contains no added water: a sesame oil base carrying Karpasa (cotton), Bala and a group of classical herbs, so no preservative is needed. It is made in India under Good Manufacturing Practice, following ISO 22716 principles, and is not tested on animals. It carries a period after opening of 12 months and is offered in a 5 litre size.
In the classical preparation, dairy is used as a cooking medium; the oil is therefore non-vegan. The blend includes naturally warming herbs such as ginger, galangal, mustard and long pepper, so it may carry some fragrance-allergen constituents; those present above the labelling threshold are shown in the ordered ingredient list below.
Karpasasthyadi Thailam in classical Ayurveda
Karpasasthyadi Thailam takes its name from Karpasa, the cotton plant (Gossypium herbaceum), whose seed leads the formula, joined with Bala (Sida cordifolia), the pulses black gram and horse gram, and a group of warming herbs in a sesame oil base. It belongs to the classical oils recorded in the Ayurvedic literature.
It is prepared by the classical Sneha Paka method, in which the herbs are cooked slowly into a sesame oil base until only the oil and its herbal actives remain. In the tradition the oil is used for Abhyanga, the practice of slow, even full-body massage: the warmed oil is worked into the skin, left for a time, and followed by a warm bath.
Art of Vedas presents its preparation of Karpasasthyadi Thailam within that classical frame, describing the practice rather than any outcome, and tests it with every batch.
Quality and testing
Tested with every batch
Every production batch of Karpasasthyadi Thailam is tested before it is released for sale. Two things are checked: heavy metals, by a laboratory method called ICP-MS, and microbiological safety, against the international standard ISO 17516:2014. The figures below are representative results; every batch is retested before release.
Heavy metals
Five heavy metals were tested by ICP-MS. Each one was within the permitted limit for products left on the skin. The right-hand column shows the maximum level allowed under German BfR guidance, so you can see the limit each result sits within.
| Metal | Result | Permitted maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Lead (Pb) | Within the permitted limit | max 2 mg/kg |
| Cadmium (Cd) | Within the permitted limit | max 0.1 mg/kg |
| Mercury (Hg) | Within the permitted limit | max 0.1 mg/kg |
| Arsenic (As) | Within the permitted limit | max 0.5 mg/kg |
| Nickel (Ni) | Within the permitted limit | max 5 mg/kg |
ICP-MS stands for inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, a standard laboratory method for detecting metals. The limits shown are the German BfR guidance values for products left on the skin, in milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg).
Microbiological safety
Microbiological safety is tested against ISO 17516:2014. The overall counts of microbes stay within the limits set for products left on the skin, and the specific organisms that must not be present were each absent.
| Test | Result |
|---|---|
| Total Aerobic Microbial Count | Within the EU limit |
| Total Yeast and Mould Count | Within the EU limit |
| Escherichia coli (E. coli) | Absent (not found) |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | Absent (not found) |
| Staphylococcus aureus (Staph) | Absent (not found) |
| Candida albicans | Absent (not found) |
ISO 17516:2014 sets the microbiological limits; the thresholds for products left on the skin apply to this oil.
Further assurances
- An anhydrous, water-free oil, so it needs no added preservatives.
- Made in India under Good Manufacturing Practice, following ISO 22716 principles; not tested on animals.
- Tested for heavy metals by ICP-MS and for microbiological safety to ISO 17516:2014, with every batch.
Full ingredients
The complete INCI list, given in order. The base is sesame oil, carrying Karpasa (cotton), Bala and a group of classical warming herbs:
Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Sida Cordifolia (Bala) Root Extract, Vigna Mungo (Black Gram) Extract, Dolichos Biflorus (Horse Gram) Seed Extract, Gossypium Herbaceum (Cotton) Seed Extract, Cedrus Deodara (Deodar Cedar) Wood Extract, Alpinia Galanga (Galangal) Root Extract, Brassica Juncea (Mustard) Seed Extract, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Extract, Anethum Graveolens (Dill) Seed Extract, Piper Officinarum (Long Pepper) Extract, Piper Brachystachyum Extract, Moringa Oleifera (Drumstick) Root Extract, Boerhavia Diffusa (Punarnava) Root Extract.
Karpasasthyadi Thailam is non-vegan: dairy is used only as a cooking medium in the classical preparation; it is cooked off and is not present in the finished oil, but its use in the making means the product is not vegan. The blend includes naturally warming herbs, so it carries some fragrance-allergen constituents; those present above the labelling threshold are declared in the ordered ingredient list, confirmed by analysis for each batch.
Product details
- Net content: 5 litre.
- Period after opening: 12 months.
- Made in India.
Precautions
- For external use only. Do not use internally.
- Avoid contact with the eyes. If contact occurs, rinse with water.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- If irritation occurs, discontinue use.
- Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight.
Karpasasthyadi Thailam: questions on quality, testing and use
- What is Karpasasthyadi Thailam?
- Karpasasthyadi Thailam is a classical Ayurvedic herbal oil whose name draws from Karpasa, the cotton plant (Gossypium herbaceum). Art of Vedas prepares it as an anhydrous body massage oil: cotton and Bala with pulses and warming herbs such as ginger, galangal and long pepper, cooked into a sesame oil base by the classical Sneha Paka method, offered in a 5 litre size. It contains no added water and no preservative, and is made for Abhyanga, the Ayurvedic full-body self-massage.
- Is Karpasasthyadi Thailam tested for heavy metals?
- Yes. Every batch is tested for five heavy metals by ICP-MS (inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). Lead, Cadmium, Mercury, Arsenic and Nickel were each within the permitted limit for products left on the skin, benchmarked against German BfR guidance: Lead max 2, Cadmium max 0.1, Mercury max 0.1, Arsenic max 0.5 and Nickel max 5 mg/kg.
- Is Karpasasthyadi Thailam tested for microbiological safety?
- Yes. Microbiological safety is tested to ISO 17516:2014. Total Aerobic Microbial Count and Total Yeast and Mould Count stay within the limits for products left on the skin, and Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and Candida albicans are each absent. The product is also made under ISO 22716 Good Manufacturing Practice principles.
- What are the ingredients in Karpasasthyadi Thailam?
- A sesame oil base carrying Karpasa (cotton), Bala and a group of classical herbs, among them black gram, horse gram, deodar cedar, galangal, ginger, mustard, dill, long pepper and Punarnava. The complete ordered INCI list is given on this page. Any fragrance allergens above the labelling threshold are declared in that list.
- Is Karpasasthyadi Thailam vegan?
- No. Karpasasthyadi Thailam is non-vegan: dairy is used as a cooking medium in the classical preparation. The dairy is a processing medium and is cooked off, so it is not present in the finished oil, but its use in the making means the product is not vegan.
- How is Karpasasthyadi Thailam used in Abhyanga?
- In Abhyanga, the Ayurvedic full-body self-massage, a small amount of the oil is warmed and worked into the skin with slow, even strokes until absorbed. In the traditional ritual the oil is left to rest on the skin for a time before bathing. It is for external use only; avoid contact with the eyes.
- Does Karpasasthyadi Thailam contain a preservative?
- No. The oil is anhydrous, meaning it contains no added water, so no preservative is needed or added.
- Is Karpasasthyadi Thailam tested on animals?
- No. Karpasasthyadi Thailam is not tested on animals.
ART OF VEDAS
Bring Karpasasthyadi Thailam into your ritual
The classical cotton and Bala oil of Ayurveda, prepared in a sesame base and tested with every batch. See the sizes, the full details and availability.
Responsible Person and distribution
Responsible Person (EU): Svedica B.V., Herengracht 449A, 1017BR Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
EU Distributor: Authentic Ayurveda d.o.o., Slavka Krautzeka 51, 51000 Rijeka, Croatia.
Karpasasthyadi Thailam by Art of Vedas: the classical cotton and Bala body oil of Ayurveda, prepared in a sesame base and tested for heavy metals and microbiological safety with every batch.
